You already know that food processors are a huge time saver due to their ability to chop, shred and grind ingredients in a matter of minutes (sometimes even seconds). Did you know, however, that the wonders of a food processor don’t just end there? In today’s article, we have a look at 5 magical uses for your food processor that go beyond shredding cabbage and mixing batters, so read on to find out more!
1. Instant Frozen Fruit Ice Cream
Commercial ice cream often contains an exorbitant amount of fat, calories and sugar. The solution? Use your food processor to turn frozen fruits into creamy, thick and delicious healthy ice cream. All you need to do is defrost some frozen fruit for 5-10 minutes, chuck it into your food processor with the “S” blade on and whizz away. Watch as your fruit magically turns into ice cream in a matter of minutes! Frozen bananas make a great base that you can build upon with other additions such as frozen raspberries, strawberries, blueberries and peaches. The combinations are endless, so grab a bag of inexpensive frozen fruit from your supermarket and start blending!
2. Make Homemade Butter
Did you know that making fresh, homemade butter only takes 2 ingredients? All you need is heavy cream and salt — the food processor will do the rest for you. Simply pour some cold heavy cream into your food processor bowl and then turn it on. Within 30 seconds, you’ll find that your cream has thickened to the perfect consistency for dessert. But we don’t stop there…continue processing the cream until the cream starts to look grainy and separates into butter and buttermilk.
Pour this mixture through a sieve to separate the curdled butter sediments and there you have it — homemade butter and buttermilk. You can season your butter with herbs, fruit zests or even vanilla for an effortless gourmet butter that you can use in cooking or simply spread on hot toast.
3. Healthy Ground Meat
Did you know that commercial ground meats often contain low quality cuts of meat and are filled with fillers such as leftover trimmings, fat and skeletal muscles? If you cringed at that statement, the time has come for you to make your own high quality ground meats with the help of your trusty food processor. All you have to do is buy whole cuts of sirloin, chuck or any other cut of meat that you prefer, chuck it into your food processor and whizz away. In a matter of minutes you’ll have high quality, additive free ground meat that is perfect for sauces, meatballs or burgers.
4. Homemade Potato Chips
If you love experimenting in the kitchen, then homemade potato chips are right up your alley. Did you know that all you have to do is thinly slice up some potatoes with the help of your food processor, fry them until they are crisp and season them for some of the best potato chips you’ve ever had? You could even experiment with sweet potatoes, turnips, parsnips and carrots for a mix of veggie chips that you can munch on without guilt.
5. Flaky Pie Crusts
Last but not least, every home cook should be able to easily make a flaky and tender pie crust without losing sleep over it. In comes the food processor to turn that dream into a reality. Simply pulse butter, flour and salt in your food processor, add an egg or some milk (depending on your recipe) to the mix and then continue pulsing until a nice dough forms. For a more detailed recipe, click here. Crying over less than perfect pastry is now a thing of the past.
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The food processor is truly one of the most versatile tools that any cook can have in their kitchen. We hope that this article has inspired you to put your food processor to the test and experiment with a variety of different recipes that will delight your taste buds.
